Citation

Wamuo C, Pearson M, Vinson SY. Psychiatr. Serv. 2022; 73(10): 1085-1086.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ps.22073010

PMID

36181324

Abstract

The punitive involvement of individuals with serious mental illness within the legal system remains a disturbing reality and is a neglected component of the U.S. mental health crisis. Compton and colleagues (1) report novel data that serve as a clarion call for broad, systems-level interventions to support and protect those living with serious mental illness. In a targeted community clinic sample, the authors found that 71% of patients with serious mental illness had been arrested, with an average of 8.6 arrests throughout their lifetime. Although previous studies have elucidated potential interventions to curtail this phenomenon, Compton et al. argue that more detailed information is needed "for upstream interventions to be best informed and most effective." Thus, the authors sought to identify the specific charges brought against individuals with serious mental illness, as well as clinical and sociodemographic risk factors increasing their risk of arrests.

Anecdotally, along with countless colleagues, we have repeatedly observed the entanglement of people with serious mental illness in the legal system. One example is a 40-year-old African American male with a psychiatric history of schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder who was subjected to months of involuntary hospitalization on a forensic unit for competency restoration. His charge? "theft by taking" and "criminal trespass" after stealing French fries at a fast-food restaurant. A 30-year-old Caucasian male maintaining his sobriety from multiple substances faced an impending drug possession charge that could derail his progress with the most minor misstep while on bail. Nevertheless, he was committed to maintaining employment, attending substance use peer support groups, and participating in psychotherapy in hopes of dissecting the life events that fed his addiction. A fundamental piece for the well-being and recovery of these two individuals was clear: successful navigation of a complex, punitive, and demonstrably racist and classist legal system...

Language: en